Speedway Indiana: Things to do & Activities

Family Friendly Things to do with Kids in Speedway, Indiana

We love Speedway, Indiana. We attended church in Speedway for several years and have attended many events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We're sharing our favorite places to go and things to do in Speedway with kids. Enjoy!

Speedway Indiana: Things to do & Activities.

What to do at Purdue West Lafayette IN with Kids: 30 Things

Visiting Purdue: 30 Things to do Lafayette Area

If you're planning a road trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, you will find lots of family things to do with the kids. Visiting Lafayette, West Lafayette, and Purdue University is a great field trip idea and can get your kids excited about attending college. So, what's to do at Purdue in West Lafayette with the kids? If you haven't been to West Lafayette in awhile, you're in for a big surprise. The growth is incredible! My kids especially liked the bananas (once you visit, you'll know what I mean.) Keep reading for our 30 best things to do family activities and road trip ideas.

In Lafayette you can tour North America's only Subaru Factory. This factory tour takes 1-1.5 hrs. It is completely free and worth every penny. :) Even our Mayhem enjoyed the tour. Asthmatics may want to wear a mask or keep their inhalers handy. Some parts of the tour are smellier than others. Outside of the entrance the paint fumes are strong and inside the factory the die section had some fumes. Overall, it is an incredibly clean factory with an amazing safety record (just like their cars.) For homeschoolers, it is a great way to learn about all of the possible positions you can learn to do within the automotive industry. Purdue University even has a hub there. We toured on a Monday. Keep in mind, that while Monday is a great day for the tour, many other things to do in Lafayette our closed on Mondays. Plan accordingly. 5500 Indiana 38, Lafayette, IN 47905

Note: Cameras and Phones are not allowed on the tour.

Subaru Factory Tour: Micah Wright/Autos Cheat Sheet

Explore STEM at the Imagination Station hands-on science museum. (Closed Mondays, Open Tuesday- Sunday) Check the website for hours of operation, they are only open a few hours per day. Weekdays = 2-5 p.m. Tickets are only $5 per person. 600 N 4th St, Lafayette, IN 47901

McCord Candies offers an old-fashioned soda and sandwich shop. In November and December, you can tour the candy shop as they make candy canes. Be sure to try the chocolates! Closed on Sundays. 536 Main St. Lafayette, IN 47901

Triple XXX Family Restaurant or Route 66? Both restaurants are owned and operated by the same people. Which should you choose? It depends on what you want to accomplish. For nostalgia and atmosphere, Triple XXX is best! Don't let the name discourage you. Triple XXX is their specialty brand of root beer. They tout themselves as Indiana's first and oldest drive-in family restaurant. From what I can tell, it's no longer a drive-in. Even Guy Fieri stopped by, check it out on their website. Expect to be packed in like sardines (with lots of college students and retirees) and wait outside for a seat to become available. For the true diner experience, this one can't be beat. A super important note, as of 2018, they are CASH ONLY- yikes. They do have an ATM inside the restaurant. As for Route 66, they are off the beat and path, not nearly as busy, and have plenty of parking. Shakes are a little pricey, but hey everything is handmade. They even hand cut and grind the steakburgers. 2 N. Salisbury, West Lafayette, IN

Columbian Park Zoo Lafayette this cute little zoo is part of Columbian Park, where you'll also find play ground equipment, picnic areas, and a small water park. Tropicanoe Cove opens the end of May. The zoo opens mid to late April. The zoo includes a farm animal petting zoo. 1915 Scott Street Lafayette, IN 47904

Museums at Prophetstown Learn about 1920's farm life at Prophetstown. Prophetstown is named for Tecumseh's younger brother the prophet, Tenskwatawa. What was once a Shawnee Native American village is now a state park. 5545 Swisher Road West Lafayette, IN 47906

Just outside of Lafayette, don't miss Battle Ground, home of the Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum.  It marks the site of the November 7, 1811, Battle of Tippecanoe between the United States’ forces, led by William Henry Harrison, and representatives of Tecumseh’s Native American confederation. This one is closed on Wednesdays. 200 Battle Ground Avenue, Battle Ground IN 47920

Fort Ouiatenon Trading Post and the Feast of the Hunter's Moon, seasonal, fall. 
3129 South River Rd, West Lafayette, IN 47906 

Battle Ground Wolf Park  see a wide variety of wolves, coyotes, and foxes. Winter season through April 30, closed Sunday through Friday. Open season starts May 1, closed Mondays. Read our review Visit Wolf Park, Battle Ground. 4004 E 800 N Battle Ground, IN 47920

Relive the Battle of 1812 in Mississinewa. This is a great immersion history program. See battle reenactments, military encampments, rivertown, Indian village, food and more. Fun for the whole family. One weekend a year. Check the map for location. 6000 N. 300 W 27, LaFontaine, IN 46940

This one is in nearby Delphi, Indiana. Wabash and Erie Canal Museum includes canal boat rides. Closed Mondays, and winter months. 1030 W Washington St. Delphi, IN 46923

While on Campus, there are many things to do with kids (Triple XXX Restaurant is near campus.)

The Purdue Bug Bowl is in mid April. This is a fun event that offers tons of insect activities, like cricket spitting and an insect petting zoo. Bug Bowl is part of the Purdue Spring Fest.

Purdue Family Fun Day is in March in the Union Ballrooms.

Purdue Animal Science offers 4H Workshops.

Purdue Convocations are open to the public. Get tickets (some events are free) to a music concert, a musical, or a lecture. Not sure it is family friendly enough? You can catch shows like Curious George: The Golden Meatball. Click here to see the Purdue schedule of events

Got a future Boilermaker? Check out this list of Purdue Summer Camp opportunities. Warning: These are pricey! In July, they also offer a free one day engineering camp for girls.

Purdue Grand Prix go kart race. Click here to see the Grand Prix schedule of events.
West Lafayette, IN

There's always something cool going on at the West Lafayette Public Library: Kids Activities.

Get Air Trampoline Park 3540 State Road 38 East, Suite 400, Lafayette, IN

Elite Air Trampoline Park 3832 Fortune Dr Lafayette, IN 47905

Riverside Ice Sating Rink 100 Tapawingo Dr N West Lafayette, IN 47906

Mike Auby's Arrowhead Bowling includes Cosmic Bowling and an Arcade. Lafayette, IN

Market Square Lanes includes Cosmic Bowling Jerilee's Pub. Lafayette, IN (close to West Lafayette)

Landmark Lanes includes Cosmic Bowling and Roddy's Sports Bar. (closer to West Lafayette)

Puccini's Pizza and Pasta 300 Brown Street, West Lafayette, IN

Dog N' Suds Drive In 401 Sagamore Pkwy, West Lafayette, IN

Mary Lou's Donuts 1830 S 4th St, Lafayette, IN 47905 (Catch the food truck on campus.)

Recommended:

For more travel and field trip ideas follow us on Instagram

Things to do in Indiana

Budget Family Vacation Ideas

How to make play dough at home and 12 Fun Things to do with Play Dough

Looking for fun things to Make at Home?

Maybe you need an easy recipe for how to make dough or you're wondering how do I make play dough at home? How to make clay dough for older kids Here are fun clay and dough recipes to make at home with kids of all ages.

How to make play dough recipe:                                                         
2 c. corn starch, 1 c. salt, 1 1/2 c. boiling water, 2 tbs. cream of tartar, 2 tbs  oil (vegetable oil to keep it edible or baby oil to make it fun and a pleasant scent) Mix all ingredients together, then add a couple drops of your favorite food coloring. You can also separate into individual baggies, add a different drop of food color to each bag, and knead to mix. Let the kids do this for extra sensory play! You can make it without cream of tar tar too; the oil will fill the void it just might not stay fresh as long :)

 Sensory Guest Post from Krissy Sherman Bonning, Mama of 3, and Blogger  at B.Inspired, Mama!  (Connecting moms with kid-friendly arts & crafts, easy recipes, and preschool learning fun.) Hop over to Krissy's blog and check out all of the cool  fun from a Mommy with a Master's degree in Art Education.

I found an exciting feature on her blog, she accepts Submissions from other bloggers! Get your fun ideas posted and earn yourself some much deserved recognition.

Fun things to do with Playdough at home.

My kids’ go-to sensory activity is definitely play dough.  The ways you can play with it are endless.  And adding unusual objects and art supplies to it make it even more fun.  Here are some of our favorites:

1. Stencils – Use them to place on the play dough and trace around, press into the play dough to make impressions, and for imaginative play, too. 
2. Recycled Bottles – Next time you drink something out of a plastic bottle, check out the bottom.  It will probably make a really cool flower-like impression in play dough.  (from B-Inspired Mama)
3. Cardboard Boxes – Play dough details can turn boxes into buildings and even an entire city.  (from Inspiration Surrounds, Creativity Abounds)
4. Muffin Cups – Silicone muffin cups are perfect for making pretend cupcakes and muffins for an impromptu Birthday party or picnic.  (from B-Inspired Mama)
5. Fake Flowers – Plant them in play dough to make a beautiful flower garden for imaginative gardening fun. (from The Imagination Tree)
6. Animals – Green play dough makes the perfect jungle for little animal friends. (from Picklebums)
7. Googly Eyes – Bright your play dough to life and make silly monsters with lots of googly eyes. (from Pink and Green Mama)
8. Candy Molds – Use chocolate play dough to make pretend candies and fun shapes with candy molds.  (from Learning 4 Kids)
9. Laminated Play Dough Mats – Laminate images and learning worksheets for kids to add play dough details, letters, and snakes to.  (from Planet of the Apels)
10. Alphabet Cookie Cutters – Make play dough fun a learning opportunity by adding letter cookie cutters.  (from No Time for Flash Cards)
11. Glitter – Add lots of glitter to turn play dough into a glistening glob for galaxy fun.  (from Poppytalk)
12. Trucks & Cars – Play dough makes fun hills for driving over and tires on toy vehicles make awesome impressions.  (from B-Inspired Mama)

Do your kids like playing with play dough? Have you ever used anything unusual to make it more fun?

Recommended Reading:

Fun-tastic Clay Critters to Make

Modeling Clay Animals

Sensory Play Dough Recipe

Kentucky Down Under Reviews: Petting Zoo

Things to do in Kentucky: Kentucky Down Under Petting Zoo

Are you planning a trip to southern Indiana or northern Kentucky? You can visit the best petting zoo ever, just a few miles outside of Louisville, Kentucky! Have you read the reviews? Kentucky Down Under is an Australian themed zoo where you're allowed to pet the animals. Not only that, you can walk right into their areas and feed them too!

 This post contains affiliate links.

Kentucky Down Under Reviews: Petting Zoo.

On our trip to Kentucky and Tennessee, we mapped out a route that allowed us to see as many animals of all kinds as possible. We saw Black Bears in the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We saw Parrots, Cockatoos, and exotic birds in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. And, we saw the outback in all its glory at Kentucky Down Under just outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

Kentucky Down Under is a different kind of zoo. It's a cross between a farm and a petting zoo. Just like other zoos, there are daily animal shows. However, you don't have to wait for a show to get up close and personal with native Australian animals.

Things to do in Kentucky: Kentucky Down Under Petting Zoo.

The kids had a wonderful time feeding Emus. You can even pet Emus, Kangaroos, and giant Tortoises as they lounge around in their "natural" habitat soaking up the sun.

Feed Emus in Kentucky.

Emu eggs, just lying in the middle of the pasture.

Kentucky Down Under has its own cave. No need to spend extra money to see a cave that your children might not enjoy. The first time seeing a cave can be frightening for the kids, no matter their ages. The cave here was discovered in the early 1800's. It is a small cave (in and out quickly) with all the bells and whistles. Meet at the gift shop for the tour.

Mammoth Onyx Cave, Kentucky Down Under.

Caves in Kentucky.

Kookaburra sits on an old gum tree. Yep, he does. You can hear the Kookaburras talking to each other as you walk through the park. We even saw a Peacock on a roof of one of the bird houses.

Animals of all kinds, sheep herding shows, snake shows, you name it! Kentucky Down Under is not a drive by. You can't see anything from the interstate or even the parking lot. Take the plunge, it is well worth it. Keep in mind, you will walk up some steep trails. Don't like to hike? Rent a golf cart for the day. They have plenty of golf cart rentals available for guests. Click here to see pricing info for Kentucky Down Under.

Beautiful Kentucky Down Under Views.

Just a few miles away is the little town of Horse Cave, Kentucky. We visited this little cave and museum years ago. Horse Cave seems run down these days, but don't let that deter you. Eat at Turtlelini's Pizza and Pasta (they have a buffet.) Zipline and explore the unusual cave, and stay in the little family owned Horse Cave Motel. It's not a perfect hotel, but it is clean, the rooms are big, and the family that owns it is very nice. You'll be safe and close to three nearby caves. Happy Spelunking!!

Recommended: 

Cave Study Homeschool Curriculum

Caves and Caverns by Gail Gibbons

Book about Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

13 Easy Eatable Edible Christmas Craft Activities for Kids

Fun, Easy, Eatable, Edible, Christmas Art and Craft Activities for Kids

We love any kind of eatable, edible art. It's the best after school snack activity for kids. You get to make it, have fun, and eat it too! These 13 easy, seasonal, holiday snack craft activities for Christmas are sure to get your kids in a happy mood. Enjoy!

This post contains Affiliate Links.

13 Easy Eatable Edible Christmas Craft Activities for Kids.

• From Disney Family Fun, these edible sugar plum gum drop penguins are perfect for the scene around your gingerbread house.

Candy Gum Drop Penguins = Edible Art.

• From Family Fun Crafts edible candy cane reindeer are fun to make and fun to eat too. The heads are made from chocolate covered marshmallows.

Reindeer Marshmallow Pops = Things to do with marshmallows.

• Busy Bee's Marshmallow Snowman Sippers are simple to make. Just slide the marshmallows over a straw and decorate with black icing.

Marshmallow Snowman Sippers.

• Edible Crafts shared these adorable and easy to make powdered doughnut snowmen. In our after school program, we used candy corn for the noses and candy dots for the facial features.

Powdered Doughnut Snowman = Edible Craft.

• Edible Stained Glass Ornaments from Kaboose  (no longer exists) are delicious to eat and double as cool Christmas tree decorations. Click the link to go to our recipe for stained glass cookies!

Stained Glass Cookie Ornaments.

• We found these edible cinnamon cookie ornaments at Completely Delicious. There are also non-edible versions which smell wonderful and last for years. Just don't eat them!

• Christmas Yule Log Roll is the perfect Christmas Eve dessert. Make some hot cocoa, start a fire, and slice up your Yule Log Chocolate Cake! We've got the recipe!

How to make an edible Christmas Yule Log Roll Cake.

Edible Cinnamon Scented Cookie Ornament.

• Make an edible sleigh from candy canes like this one from One Hundred Dollars a Month. Keep scrolling to see our similar version with edible passengers!

Edible sleigh from candy canes from One Hundered Dollars a Month.

Make a Cardboard Gingerbread House.

• Waffle Cone Christmas Trees are perfect for landscaping outside your Gingerbread house. Covered in green icing and fun candy, they are also delicious! We found these at She Knows.

Waffle Cone Christmas Trees from She Knows.

• These sugared marshmallow snowmen are also from She Knows. Candy Rollos make cute little hats!

Sugared Marshmallow Snowman from She Knows.

• This snowman in a jar is one of our all time most popular posts. This one is filled with fiber fill, but you can fill it with mini-marshmallows, chocolate candy, and candy corn to make an easy, edible craft for preschoolers.

Snowman in a jar: We filled this with cotton batting, 
but you could use popcorn, marshmallows, or vanilla fudge.

• Stick a small candy cane through the edible marshmallow gingerbread man seen below, and hang him on the Christmas Tree.

Edible Chocolate Marshmallow Gingerbread Man.

• Pop some popcorn, add some waffle cone Christmas trees, a candy cane sleigh, peanut marshmallow snowmen and penguins, and you have the outdoor area at your Gingerbread Land.

The scene outside a Gingerbread House.

• This little peanut is a snowman. To make an edible version, paint with white icing and decorate with gel icing.

This Peanut Marshmallow is a Lapel Pin, but you can 
make and edible version for your Candy Cane Sleigh.

Recommended Reading:

Get Edible Holiday Snack Crafts and Games on Amazon.

Turkey Peanut Butter Balls

More Things to do with Marshmallows from Amazon.

Book: Christmas Made Easy: Recipes, Tips and Edible Gifts for a Stress-Free Holiday

Mayflower Cream Cheese Boats

Chicken Nuggets Pasta Skeleton Recipe

Fun Things to do With Chicken Nuggets: Make a Pasta Skeleton

What fun things do you do with chicken nuggets for Halloween? The kids love pasta and chicken nuggets, so we decided to combine the two into a pasta skeleton with a chicken nugget skull. Enjoy!

We played around with food to decide what food would make the best face and still taste good with the chicken nuggets. We settled on pickle faces. Nothing goes better with nuggets than ketchup and pickles- at least that's what the kids say.

Things to do with Chicken Nuggets. Make some fun pickle faces.

How to Make Pasta Skeletons with Chicken Nuggets

Fun Things to do With Chicken Nuggets: Make a Pasta Skeleton.

• Bake the nuggets in the oven according to package directions. 

• Boil 1 C. Penne and 1/2 C. Rotini according to package directions. Add your favorite Pasta sauce. Serve with chicken nuggets with pickle smiles.

• Create pasta skeletons or other fun creatures. Playing with food makes it more fun to eat!

Chicken Nuggets Pasta Skeleton Recipe.

*This is NOT a sponsored post.



Recommended:

Skeleton Companion Book* 

Mini Chicken Sandwiches

Holiday Receipes and Activities* from Kids Creative Chaos Cooks


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Things to do in Indianapolis in Summer: Great Times

Have a Great Time this Summer in Indy

This summer has taken forever to get here, but we see the signs, and we're following them! If you are looking for things to do in Indianapolis this summer, we've got a fun activity for you. Don't forget to bring the BANANA BOAT® Sunscreen, you'll need it with all of the great, summer, outdoor activities. Indiana weather changes minute by minute. You never know what kind of weather you're going to get! We decided to spend the day exploring all of the fun things to do at Great Times in Indy. The best activities are the outdoor ones. That's why we stopped at Walmart to get some BANANA BOAT® products.

BANANA BOAT®  Sunscreen has products for swimming, sporting, and lounging on the beach.

BANANA BOAT® has a tons of products for kids. Whether you are sporty, swim in a pool, or on the beach, BANANA BOAT® has you covered. If your kids are like mine, they hate being covered in sunscreen, especially if they aren't swimming. The spray on sunscreen from BANANA BOAT® is perfect for kids in a hurry to get to the fun activities.

What is the best sunscreen for Summer Activities for kids?

So, you need to make it as fun as possible. We made up a song to sing while applying sunscreen. You've heard you are supposed to sing your ABC's to brush your teeth, why not sing to apply sunscreen too! Each time you reapply, be sure to sing the sunscreen song! The lyrics to our song are shared below. Make it a part of your sunscreen routine.

• Sunscreen, sunscreen, protect my skin while I play.
• Sunscreen, sunscreen keep me safe all through the day.

Did you know that sun protection requires 1 oz.every 2 hours in the sun? I didn't. Be sure to apply about 2 tablespoons of sunscreen to yourself and your kids' entire bodies 30 minutes before going outside and then reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.

So, now that we're all prepared for a great time in the sun, let's talk about Great Times Family Fun Center. We went on a Thursday and to our delight, all activities were all inclusive from 11-6 with the purchase of an $11.50 per person, three hour wrist band. Yep, we spent 3 hours in the sun! And guess what... You guessed it! No sunburn.

First, the bumper boats!

Bumper Boats in Indianapolis at Great Times.

Their favorite thing to do was ride the go-karts, the ride is nice and long. These are on an all concrete track in full sun, so don't forget to reapply your sunscreen.

Go karting at Great Times is a fun thing to do in Indy in the sun!

There's also a very cool miniature golf course.

Things to do in Indianapolis in Summer: Great Times.

After all of the fun in the sun, you can go inside for a bite to eat, play games, or climb through the maze room. We'll be spending a lot of time here this summer. Good thing we have our trusty BANANA BOAT® SPF 50.

Banana Boat® Sunscreen SPF 50 Kids Free.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . The opinions and text are all mine.

Recommended:


Things to do in Indy with Kids


Summer Camp Games to Play Outdoors


Summer Games to Play Outdoors*